Most of the businesses I work with have less than 30 employees. Many will have less than five. The perception of my company is that I am a one man band, and that is a reasonable reaction when I am the one delivering the service. However, I am lucky to have a small army of contacts to whom I can farm out web design, application development, server management etc. In fact all those technical things where I know what are required, but may not have the time to actually do the work myself.
I have split my business propositions into a number of micro sites, so each can concentrate on its own specific needs and market. You may receive an email from any of my ‘companies’. But then I get an email from inportnantlookingperson@gmail.com!
Now you may not be proud of your company web site, especially when you think I am going to point out all its failings. However, I am much more concerned if you do not use a decent email address. Why, well these are my top reasons, see what you think.
- What sort of fly-by-night person are you not to invest in a proper email address.
- Which ‘student’ put together your web site and did not have the knowledge to set up your email accounts.
- Do you realise that Gmail, BTInternet and Yahoo have no decent guarantees for their service. They may loose all your emails and never really apologise.
- The big Internet companies will use anti-spam to clear out unwanted emails, to stop their systems being flooded. It is only a consequence that they will do it for you. However, you will discover that some legitimate email will fail too.
- Don’t expect too much back service to help you setup and make best use of your email.
- These mass email companies are often used by spammers, and individual servers are frequently blacklisted. So you will find the odd email never arrives.
- Trying to prove you are not spam without the option of sender protection measures on such services is pretty impossible.
So what can you do with a proper email address on your own domain?
- Use multiple addresses, like sales@, info@. Give forms on your server and online orders their own separate email addresses.
- Advertise a different email address on your web site for public use, and keep a personal email for your own messages. You can ‘see’ where people found you.
- Use SPF and Domain Keys, to stop spammers using your domain name to send spam.
- With a better reputation for your domain name you can use html and other quality email layouts without being trapped as spam.
- You can have an accounts department, and admin even though they may be the same person.
- Emails with your domain name will be more quickly identified with your company and your web site.
- If you change your internet provider, are you concerned you will loose your @btinternet email.
- You own the domain, your have the right to that email, and only you can close the account.
- If you wish to make use of Microsoft Exchange Email, Web Mail, Email to your blackberry or Iphone. You are not tied to any one email provider. You can always move your ‘email domain’ to another provider who can deliver such services.